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Thousands of L.A. City Workers Receive New Year’s Pay Hike

The New Year brought a new pay increase to thousands of workers in the city of Los Angeles, officials confirmed.

An employee from the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services repairs a pothole (Credit: KTLA)

Starting January 1, about 13,000 city employees were scheduled to receive a 5.5 percent pay raise, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office confirmed in a statement to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Despite L.A.’s continued financial woes, Garcetti’s office said the City was legally obligated to implement the pay increases negotiated with unions under former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s administration.

Last month the Los Angeles City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee said it was anticipating a budget deficit next summer of as much as $242 million because of unexpected salary and health care costs for city workers.

The shortfall also included $45 million in unforeseen overtime costs for firefighters and police officers.